Mabelvale woman indicted for illegally smuggling and selling clams in U.S.

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (KATV) — Yanci Lissbeth Amaya Aguiluz, a 52-year-old woman from Mabelvale, has been indicted on two counts of smuggling over three dozen clams into the United States on two separate occasions.

Aguiluz entered a plea of not guilty for her charges in the Indictment, and has a trial scheduled for August 31.

The Indictment states that an investigation into Aguiluz’s alleged illegal possession and sale of a certain species of clams, sourced from El Salvador, was launched in July 2025 by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) after they were notified by the Arkansas Department of Health.

An initial report said that Aguiluz was attempting to import the clams and sell them. However, an investigation into these claims suggest that she was allegedly smuggling the clams into the country and selling them on social media at local events in central Arkansas.

The clams being from El Salvador is a violation of law, as El Salvador is not on the list of Interstate Certified Shellfish Shippers List (ICSSL), which is the list, maintained by the Food and Drug Administration that determines what shellfish dealers are allowed to ship shellfish to the U.S.

Clams are a kind of shellfish called filter feeders, which means they eat and filter the water wherever they are. The U.S. has high standards for their water quality and will on allow shellfish from certain parts of the world that are up to certain standards.

The clams that Aguiluz was accused smuggling into the country are known to carry Hepatitis A, Norovirus, parasites, and other marine biotoxins.

If Aguiluz is convicted, she can face up to 20 years in prison and a fine of $250,000.